Laboratory of Pathological Bone Metabolism and Osteoimmunology
We study osteoimmunology, an interdisciplinary field linking bone biology and immune system, with a focus on the inflammatory regulation of gene expression and signaling in osteoclastogenesis, adipogenesis, skeletal damage and repair involved in diseases, such as osteoporosis and inflammatory arthritis. We use genetic approaches (knockout and transgenic mice), primary cells (for example, bone marrow cells and PBMCs), a combination of molecular and cellular methods and various disease models, such as osteoporosis, arthritis or tumor metastasis mouse models. We have worked extensively on signal transduction and crosstalk, genetic and epigenetic regulation of gene expression, cell differentiation and in vivo bone remodeling and metabolism. We have published work at Nature Medicine, Journal of Experimental Medicine, Journal of Clinical Investigation, Journal of Immunology, and Nature Communications (please refer to My lab website and VIVO page).
Bone destruction is a severe consequence of many skeletal diseases, including the common but refractory diseases, inflammatory arthritis and osteoporosis, and is a major cause of morbidity and disability in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Our long term goals are to identify and understand the mechanisms that regulate bone remodeling in inflammatory settings, and to develop new therapeutic approaches to suppress pathological bone resorption, recover bone formation and repair skeletal damage based on our discoveries of pathogenic mechanisms and drug targets. Dr. Baohong Zhao holds faculty positions at Weill Cornell Medicine, BCMB graduate program and the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS). HSS is ranked national number 1 in Orthopedics for many years and No. 3 in Rheumatology. Weill Cornell Medicine, BCMB program and HSS provide strong academic support and resources for us to study and improve skeletal health. We expect that our research will benefit the treatment of RA, inflammatory arthritis and multiple skeleton diseases.
